"Six fat and six lean months" is how Barry Michiels of wholesaler Gebroeders Michiels describes the division of the year. Normally, trade at the Flemish exporter slows down slightly during the winter period, but this winter has been relatively busy. "Not this weekend, though, as 6 January is a public holiday in southern Germany, where we mainly export to, so everything comes to a temporary halt," he says. Overall, however, winter vegetables have made their way to Germany quite successfully this season.
The main reason for this is head lettuce, Barry points out. "It hasn't been too expensive for this time of year, which has allowed us to keep going. Normally, people would switch to Italy or France, but with prices staying reasonable, we've been able to maintain our pace. There's a noticeable difference compared to 10 years ago, though. Demand isn't the same as it was back then, so you can't afford to stockpile too much; otherwise, it becomes worthless."
"We've been able to manage well, but the volumes are no longer what they used to be," he continues. "It's a trend. Younger consumers are more inclined to choose varieties like Lollo Bionda or Lollo Rosso. These newer varieties are becoming increasingly popular. The same applies to Flower Sprouts, for example. We handle those a lot, and there's good demand. However, this winter, there was a four-week gap when they didn't grow well and remained too small. With products that have such limited supply, gaps in availability are felt immediately."
Chicory remarkably cheap at Christmas
Despite changes, the trader sees a strong demand for traditional winter vegetables. "Leeks continue to sell well. This week, prices are slightly higher because migrant workers went back to their home countries for two weeks over the holidays. That always creates a temporary lull and causes price spikes, but they'll return next week, and the price level will likely stabilize again."
"In addition, chicory performed well, largely because it was surprisingly cheap during Christmas. It's usually expensive during the holidays, and after New Year, the price drops back to normal. But this year, prices were unusually low even during Christmas. Now, they're stabilizing again," Barry explains.
Why the low prices? "I think it's because supermarkets set a fixed price and didn't need any additional supply. When supply exceeds demand, prices drop. The following week, supermarkets may try their luck by not setting fixed prices, causing prices to rise again. That's how it played out, but now, after New Year, I expect prices to stabilize."
Barry reflects on a good winter, with greenhouse vegetables also making their way to Germany in smaller quantities. "We handled limited volumes of cucumbers and tomatoes from unheated greenhouses. Some customers who buy these products in summer stick with them year-round, which is nice. Especially compared to two years ago, when the energy crisis resulted in no supply at all. Now, we have 10 to 15 more pallets per day than we did back then.
"This weekend will be quiet, but after that, we'll continue with winter vegetables for a few more weeks. By mid-February, I expect a larger supply of cucumbers. These volumes will steadily increase in the following weeks, marking the beginning of the six fat months for us again."
For more information:
Barry Michiels
Gebroeders Michiels 
Kempenarestraat 50
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)475 262 482
[email protected]
www.gebroedersmichiels.be